harbour
Americannoun
noun
-
a sheltered port
-
a place of refuge or safety
verb
-
(tr) to give shelter to
to harbour a criminal
-
(tr) to maintain secretly
to harbour a grudge
-
to shelter (a vessel) in a harbour or (of a vessel) to seek shelter
Spelling
See -or 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of harbour
Old English herebeorg, from here troop, army + beorg shelter; related to Old High German heriberga hostelry, Old Norse herbergi
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"For too long, Sydney has looked towards the harbour and the CBD. What this does is turn it around to where people live, to where jobs occur, to where investment occurs in western Sydney."
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
Waves smashing against the entrance to Nairn harbour on Sunday morning.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
Adoring fans named her Bukangi, from "buk hang", the Korean name of the nearby harbour.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
"We know how important St Aubin's Bay is to many islanders and are committed to balancing the safe operation of the harbour with protecting the character and environment of the bay."
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
I don’t stop until I’m back on the harbour, in bright street light.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
